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<p style="font-family:Verdana">Usually we would stop by the house on Sunset Way before going to the Polivka's. That house was under a thick canopy of tall oaks, dogwoods and assorted trees. When we turned off the main road and drove downhill on a dirt road filled with potholes. It was the upper end of a deep dark ravine, thick with trees. There were a number of roughly built houses down this road, spaced a good distance apart. Mrs. Jones, my first babysitter lived down this road. My mom told us that her grandson was killed by a white shark when he was swimming off of Stinson's Beach. Andrew and I even found an article about it in a book we owned. Her son was at the beach with his girlfriend when he decided to take a swim out beyond the breakers. His girlfriend was on the beach while he was in the water swimming, when she saw that he was hit by the shark. Ignoring the danger she swum out and pulled him back to shore. He was bleeding profusely and did not survive for long. The girlfriend received an honorary medal of bravery from President Kennedy.</p> | <p style="font-family:Verdana">Usually we would stop by the house on Sunset Way before going to the Polivka's. That house was under a thick canopy of tall oaks, dogwoods and assorted trees. When we turned off the main road and drove downhill on a dirt road filled with potholes. It was the upper end of a deep dark ravine, thick with trees. There were a number of roughly built houses down this road, spaced a good distance apart. Mrs. Jones, my first babysitter lived down this road. My mom told us that her grandson was killed by a white shark when he was swimming off of Stinson's Beach. Andrew and I even found an article about it in a book we owned. Her son was at the beach with his girlfriend when he decided to take a swim out beyond the breakers. His girlfriend was on the beach while he was in the water swimming, when she saw that he was hit by the shark. Ignoring the danger she swum out and pulled him back to shore. He was bleeding profusely and did not survive for long. The girlfriend received an honorary medal of bravery from President Kennedy.</p> | ||
<p style="font-family:Verdana">This was how I remembered the story, but after speaking with Peter recently, he remembered it slightly differently. He remembered that it was the beach near the Golden Gate Bridge and he didn't remember the girlfriend swimming out to attempt a rescue. Also it would have been before Kennedy was president so he wouldn't have given her a medal. So I tried to find a record of it on the internet and sure enough Peter was right, it was Baker Beach near the Golden Gate not Stinson's Beach which is much further north. Here is a link to a news article from the time | <p style="font-family:Verdana">This was how I remembered the story, but after speaking with Peter recently, he remembered it slightly differently. He remembered that it was the beach near the Golden Gate Bridge and he didn't remember the girlfriend swimming out to attempt a rescue. Also it would have been before Kennedy was president so he wouldn't have given her a medal. So I tried to find a record of it on the internet and sure enough Peter was right, it was Baker Beach near the Golden Gate not Stinson's Beach which is much further north. Here is a link to a news article from the time [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19590508&id=JwNYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2439,1865406&hl=en May 7th 1959] The girlfriend did receive some kind of medal from President Kennedy a few years later, but they were swimming together when the attack happened.</p> | ||
<p style="font-family:Verdana">My mom always warned Andrew and me never to mention this incident in front of Mrs. Jones...we never did.</p> | <p style="font-family:Verdana">My mom always warned Andrew and me never to mention this incident in front of Mrs. Jones...we never did.</p> | ||
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<p style="font-family:Verdana">After John's service I received an email from Peter which I think adds to the story. Jack is my Dad's name. | <p style="font-family:Verdana">After John's service I received an email from Peter which I think adds to the story. Jack is my Dad's name. | ||
<div class="" dir="auto">"It was great to see you and impressive that Jack made the trip. My parents had a romantic notion about adobe. It’s definitely nice to look at. Of course once you set a course, buy the property and start digging you’ve got to keep going even when the project loses its novelty and it’s just work - kind of like backpacking with 50 lbs for a couple of weeks. What we see now took years to arrive at. I remember building the rear deck and roof when I was 16 - Jaro was off in Africa with the UN, I think. I remember Jack coming over one day to visit and we talked about the deck layout, among other things. I was just setting the concrete piers for the deck posts. (Jack gave me some advice that day that stuck with me: do with your life what you enjoy doing. Great advice | <div class="" dir="auto">''"It was great to see you and impressive that Jack made the trip. My parents had a romantic notion about adobe. It’s definitely nice to look at. Of course once you set a course, buy the property and start digging you’ve got to keep going even when the project loses its novelty and it’s just work - kind of like backpacking with 50 lbs for a couple of weeks. What we see now took years to arrive at. I remember building the rear deck and roof when I was 16 - Jaro was off in Africa with the UN, I think. I remember Jack coming over one day to visit and we talked about the deck layout, among other things. I was just setting the concrete piers for the deck posts. (Jack gave me some advice that day that stuck with me: "do with your life what you enjoy doing. Great advice".''</p> | ||
<p style="font-family:Verdana">John did the interior cedar v-groove paneling on the exterior adobe walls to cover them up when he was in his middle teens as well. We all pitched in for the concrete drive at the front of the house - except for Jaro who was off to Princeton for some coursework in higher math. I think he wanted to walk the halls that Einstein (his hero) walked years before. | <p style="font-family:Verdana">''John did the interior cedar v-groove paneling on the exterior adobe walls to cover them up when he was in his middle teens as well. We all pitched in for the concrete drive at the front of the house - except for Jaro who was off to Princeton for some coursework in higher math. I think he wanted to walk the halls that Einstein (his hero) walked years before.'' | ||
<div class="" dir="auto"> It’s kept us busy, the properties and belongings (three generations worth). There’s a deep sense of loss, first John, then the family house. But those with experience tell us time is a great healer and I would agree."</p> | <div class="" dir="auto">'' It’s kept us busy, the properties and belongings (three generations worth). There’s a deep sense of loss, first John, then the family house. But those with experience tell us time is a great healer and I would agree."''</p> | ||
<p style="font-family:Verdana">I began writing down these personal memories of Paradise many years ago. Soon after I added this postscript, the Campfire burned down most of the buildings in Paradise, including the Adobe and our old house on Sunset Way, now called Quail Way. It is hard say much about my feelings surrounding this. How do I feel about losing something, that was lost to me many years ago anyway? I find it best to keep in mind those whose loss is now and those whose lives are upended. Though I can't help but feel a personal sadness when looking at these picture.</p> | <p style="font-family:Verdana">I began writing down these personal memories of Paradise many years ago. Soon after I added this postscript, the Campfire burned down most of the buildings in Paradise, including the Adobe and our old house on Sunset Way, now called Quail Way. It is hard say much about my feelings surrounding this. How do I feel about losing something, that was lost to me many years ago anyway? I find it best to keep in mind those whose loss is now and those whose lives are upended. Though I can't help but feel a personal sadness when looking at these picture.</p>[[File:Paradise-Adobe-350x209.jpg|left|thumb|Paradise Adobe after the Campfire]][[File:6848-Sunset-Way-350x197.jpg|left|thumb|The House on Sunset Way after the Campfire]] | ||
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